Part 9 (1/2)

'Well - I don't know if a sleep-walker can unlock doors with the right keys, and steal his own papers, leaving some on the floor, and then walk carefully down the spiral stairway still fast asleep, locking all the doors behind him, and then go to his own bedroom, get into bed, and then wake up in the morning without remembering a single moment of the whole thing!' said Julian.

'No. It can't be possible,' said d.i.c.k. 'Have you ever known your father to walk in his sleep, Tinker?'

Tinker considered. 'No, I can't say I have,' he said. 'He's a very light sleeper, usually. No. I don't believe Dad did all that in his sleep. It was somebody else.'

'It must have been some sort of miracle man, then,' said George. 'No ordinary person could do it. And whoever planned it wanted those papers very, very badly, or he would never have risked getting them against so many odds.'

'And if he wanted them SO VERY badly, he'll certainly make an effort to get the ones he left behind under the table,' said Julian. 'Good thing we've got those! He will probably try to get up into the tower the same way as he did before - but goodness knows what it was!'

'Well - those papers will be safely out of his way, tonight!' said George. 'On my island!'

'Yes,' said Julian. 'I'll find a most unlikely hiding-place - somewhere about the ruined castle, I think. By the way - I hope you haven't still got them under your jersey, Tinker. No - you don't look fat any more. What have you done with them?'

'George said I'd better give them to her to keep, in case they slipped out of my jersey,' said Tinker. 'You took them, didn't you, George?'

'Yes,' said George. 'Don't let's talk about it any more.'

'Why not? The thief's not here. He can't be listening to us!' said Tinker. 'I believe you're cross, George, because Julian won't let you take the papers yourself!'

'Oh, do shut up, Tinker,' said George. 'I shall be jolly cross with you in a minute, if you let Mischief upset your gla.s.s of lemonade again, all over my bread. Take him off the table! His manners are getting worse!'

'They aren't - but your temper is!' said Tinker and promptly received a kick under the table from Julian. He was about to kick back but thought better of it. Julian could kick very much harder than he could! He decided to take Mischief off the table in case George smacked him. He put the little monkey under the table where Timmy was sitting quietly. Mischief immediately cuddled up to him, putting his little furry arms round the big dog's neck. Timmy sniffed him all over, and then gave him two or three licks. He was very fond of the naughty little monkey.

'What shall we do this afternoon?' asked d.i.c.k, when they had all helped Jenny to clear away and wash-up. 'What about a bathe in the sea? Is it warm enough?'

'Not really. But that doesn't matter, we always feel jolly warm when we come out of the water and run about and then rub ourselves down,' said Anne. 'Jenny - do you feel like a bathe?'

'Good gracious, no!' said Jenny, s.h.i.+vering at the thought. 'I'm a cold mortal, I am. The thought of going into that cold sea makes me shudder. If you want your towels, they are all in the airing cupboard. And don't you be late for tea, if you want any, because I've a lot of ironing to do afterwards.'

'Right, Jenny,' said Tinker, about to give her one of his 'squeezes' but thinking better of it when he saw her warning look. 'Julian, may I come with you to Kirrin Island tonight? I'd like a bit of fun.'

'You may not,' said Julian. 'Anyway, there won't be any fun.'

'There might be if Mr Wooh did hear George say she was taking those papers over,' said Tinker. 'He'd be waiting on the island - and you might be glad to have me with you!'

'I should not be glad to have you with me,' said Julian. 'You'd just be in the way. It would be much easier to look after myself than to see what you were up to all the time. I am going by myself. Please don't scowl at me like that, George.'

He got up from the table and went to look out of the window. 'Wind's died down a bit,' he said. 'I think I'll have a bathe in an hour's time. If any of you others want to come, we'll go down together.'

They all went down to the beach after a while and bathed, except Mischief, who put one small paw into the water, gave a howl and scampered back up the beach as fast as ever he could, afraid that Tinker might catch him and make him go in! Timmy went in, of course. He swam marvellously, and even gave Tinker a ride on his back, diving down when the boy felt heavy, so that Tinker suddenly found himself sprawling in the water! 'You wretch, Timmy!' yelled the boy, 'the water's gone up my nose. Wait till I catch you! I'll put you under!'

But he couldn't possibly catch old Timmy, who really enjoyed the joke. The big dog gave a joyful bark, and swam after George. How he loved being with them all!

The rest of the day went quickly. Jenny had a fine tea for them, with slices of ham, and salad, and fruit to end with, and said afterwards that she had time to play a game of Scrabble with them if they liked. Mischief sat on the table to watch.

'I don't mind you watching,' said Anne. 'But you are NOT to scrabble, Mischief. You sent all my little ivory discs on the floor last time we played, and I lost the game.'

Timmy watched gravely, sitting on a chair beside George. He simply could NOT understand what made the children play games like this when they could go for a nice long walk with him. They took pity on him when the game was over and went out for a two-mile walk along by the sea. How Timmy loved that!

'I shall cycle to Kirrin Village as soon as it's dark,' announced Julian. 'I suppose your boat is tied up in the usual place, George? I'm sorry I can't take you with me, but there might be a bit of danger, as we said. However I won't run into any if I can help it. I shan't feel comfortable until those secret papers are safely out of the way! You can give them to me just before I go, George.'

Anne suddenly yawned. 'Don't start too late or I shall fall asleep!' she said. 'It's getting dark already. All that swimming has made me feel tired!'

d.i.c.k yawned too. 'I'm jolly sleepy as well,' he said. 'I shall bed down in our tent as soon as you've gone, Ju. I'll see you off safely first, papers and all! You'd better go to your tent, too, girls - you look tired.'

'Right!' said Anne. 'You coming, George?'

'We'll all go,' said George. 'Come on, Tinker. Bet you I get over the fence and down to our tents first! Good night, Jenny. We're off!'

She and Anne and Tinker, with Timmy running behind, went off down the darkening garden. d.i.c.k and Julian helped Jenny to tidy up, and to draw all the curtains. 'Well, good night, Jenny,' said d.i.c.k. 'All you have to do is to lock the door behind us and go safely up to bed. We'll go down to our tents now. Sleep well!'

'Oh, I always do,' said Jenny. 'Look after yourselves now and don't get into any mischief! Hide those papers well, where n.o.body can find them!'

Julian and d.i.c.k went off down the garden, having heard Jenny carefully locking the door behind them.

Tinker and the girls were already over the fence, Mischief on Tinker's shoulder. Anne spoke anxiously to George. 'I do hope Julian will be all right going over to Kirrin Island,' she said. 'I wish he'd take d.i.c.k with him.'

'If he took anyone it should be me!' burst out George. 'It's my island!'

'Oh, don't be silly, George. The papers would be much safer with Julian,' said Anne. 'It would be an awful business for you, cycling by yourself to Kirrin, getting your boat into the water, and rowing over in the dark!'

'It would not!' said George. 'If Julian can do it, then so could I. You go into our tent, Anne, and get ready for bed. I'll come in a minute, after I've taken Timmy for a run.'

She waited till Anne had disappeared through the tent opening. Then she went quietly off by herself in the dark, Timmy trotting beside her, rather surprised.

Soon there came the sound of voices, as Julian and d.i.c.k reached the fence and leapt over it. They went to their tent, and found Tinker there, yawning and getting ready for bed.

Soon the three boys were all rolled up in their rugs, Mischief cuddled up to Tinker. After some time Julian sat up and looked at his watch, and then peeped out of the tent opening. 'Quite dark!' he said. 'But the moon's coming up, I see. I think I'll get the papers from George now, and set off on my bicyde to Kirrin. I can easily get it out of the shed.'

'You know where George keeps her boat,' said d.i.c.k. 'You won't have any difficulty in finding it. Got your torch, Ju?'

'Yes - and a new battery,' said Julian. 'Look!'

He switched on his torch. It gave a good, powerful beam. 'Shan't miss the island if I put this on!' he said. 'Now - I'll get those papers. Hey, George - I'm coming to your tent for the papers!'

He went over to the girls' tent. Anne was there, only half awake. She blinked as Julian's torch shone into her eyes.

'George!' said Julian. 'Give me those papers now, please - hallo - I say, Anne - where is George?'

Anne started all round the tent. George's rugs were there, piled in an untidy heap; but there was no George - and no Timmy either!

'Oh, Ju! Do you know what George has done - she's slipped out with the precious papers - and taken Timmy too! She must have gone to fetch her bike, and ridden off to Kirrin to get her boat - and row over to Kirrin Island! Julian, whatever will happen if she rows over and finds somebody waiting to grab those papers from her!' Poor Anne was very near to tears.

'I could shake her!' said Julian, very angry indeed. 'Going off alone like that in the dark - cycling to Kirrin - rowing over to the island - and back! She must be mad! Suppose Mr Wooh and his friends are waiting there for her! The - silly - little - idiot!'